Techniques for paper finishing with laser engraving and cutting machines

For an elegant effect, you can bleach out the uppermost layer or the surface of some types of paper. Bleaching out involves engraving in a way so that little or no material is removed.

Assign the next color for the surfaces you want to create. We used red for our project. For the engraving parameters, use lower power and a faster speed than you would normally use for engraving on paper.

The engraving line technique is similar to scratching, but with a different thickness. This is defined by the parameter setting.

Assign a cutting layer to the object again. (We used desert blue.) In the parameter settings, choose a Z-offset of about 2-5 mm for the cutting process, depending on the desired thickness of the line. The power output should be similar to the scratching line.

You can also cut in particular filigree writing, figure or ornament with the laser by drawing an arbitrary form with a cutting layer for this (we used cyan for this).

For you parameter settings, use a lower speed and power output than with the outer cut.

You can of course use all these techniques which we have presented to you here with other types of paper.

For an individual touch, you can also add photo engraving. In the Ruby® advanced material settings use the dithering option “Ordered”. The photo can have its own layer (color) so that you can define individual laser parameters to photo engraving.

Caution: Caution when using JobControl®: no other engraving techniques, such as light engraving or deep engraving, can be combined in with photo engraving or the halftone "Ordered Dithering". The colors used for this would be screened, thus converted into gray scale. However, these settings do not have an effect on the colors of the cutting lines. If you still would wish to accommodate all techniques in the card, send the image separately and work with markers for exact placement.